Effect of Zen Meditation on serum nitric oxide activity and lipid peroxidation.
Do-Hoon Kim, Yoo-Sun Moon, Hee-Sung Kim, Jun-Sub Jung, Hyung-Moo Park, Hong-Won Suh, Yung-Hi Kim, Dong-Keun Song
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry February 1, 2005 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2004.11.019 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPeople who practiced Zen Meditation had higher serum levels of nitric oxide (measured as nitrate+nitrite) and lower levels of malondialdehyde, a marker of oxidative stress, compared with a matched control group that did not practice any stress management technique. The 20 meditators were recruited from a Meditation Center in Seoul, South Korea, and the 20 controls were matched by age and sex. The authors note that a randomized controlled trial is needed to establish a causal relationship between meditation and these biological markers.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Controlled trial (non-randomized) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Adults in Seoul, South Korea; 20 who practiced Zen Meditation and 20 age- and sex-matched controls |
| Intervention | Zen Meditation |
| Key finding | Zen Meditation practitioners showed significantly higher serum nitrate+nitrite and significantly lower serum malondialdehyde than controls. |
Abstract
This study was designed to investigate the effect of Zen Meditation on serum nitric oxide activity (NO) and oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation). The experimental group included 20 subjects who had practiced the Zen Meditation program in Meditation Center located in Seoul, South Korea. The control group included 20 subjects who did not practice any formal stress management technique and were age and sex matched with experimental group. To provide an assessment of nitric oxide production, the serum level of nitrate/nitrite was determined using the Griess reagent. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was measured as a convenient index of lipid peroxidation by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method. Meditation group showed a significant higher level of serum nitrate+nitrite concentration and a significant reduced level of serum malondialdehyde (MDA) than control group. A comprehensive randomized controlled trial should be performed to prove the causal relationship between meditation and level of nitric oxide or oxidative stress in reducing cardiovascular risk factors.